Committee Reports

Chairman Brain called the meeting to order. He asked for reports from the five standing committees. "What have you learned in the last 1450 miles?"

SMELL

The Committee on Smell reported that, though they are sometimes unnerving, lumber trucks actually smell good when they pass. The same is true of hay trucks. Cattle trucks are another matter entirely.

HEARING

The Hearing Committee reported that headwinds are not only demoralizing to the entire body but also deafening. Tailwinds, on the other hand, both make pedaling easier and carry the sound of traffic approaching from the rear a long way.

Hearing further reported that sometimes, on long climbs, the only sound it hears is Brant's breathing. Chairman Brain noted that this is actually a reassuring sound.

SIGHT

The Committee on Sight presented its report in the form of a dialog.

Bartender in Gladstone: You boys must see a lot of cool stuff riding bikes.

Brant and BJ (riffing alternately): We see lots of road kill. Dead birds. Dead snakes. Dead deer. Plenty of broken glass. Bungee cords. Broken tie-down straps. Discarded toys. Nuts and bolts. Lots of hardware. America's cars are shaking themselves apart on the highways.

TASTE

The Taste Committee reported that food tastes better when the body is really hungry. Smell concurred.

TOUCH

The Touch Committee was not in attendance.

Chairman Brain took a point of personal privilege to state that long stretches of open road give Brant too much time to think. He suggested that, if there were no objections, the meeting be adjourned so that everyone could get a good night's rest and be fresh for the morning.

The meeting was concluded with the Lord's Prayer.

Time to think